How to cut your subscriptions in one evening
Updated October 7, 2026 · By the Souski team
Streaming, music, the gym, apps, cloud storage: each subscription looks small, but together they can easily pass €100 a month. They're fixed costs that are easy to cut, and one evening is enough. Here's the 5-step method to sort them out, and stop unwanted subscriptions creeping back.
Step 1: make the full list
Pull up your last three months of bank statements and note every amount that repeats. Also check:
- subscriptions managed through the App Store or Google Play, and those paid via PayPal;
- yearly subscriptions, which only come out once a year and are easy to forget;
- free trials that quietly turned into paid subscriptions;
- add-ons to your broadband, phone plan or bank account (phone insurance, extra services).
Step 2: sort each subscription
For each one, ask a single question: did I use it last month? Then put it in one of three columns:
- Keep: I use it often and it genuinely adds something.
- Downgrade: a cheaper or shared plan would do (a smaller plan, a family plan, no extras).
- Cancel: I didn't use it, or I can live without it.
Example: Lucas sorts his subscriptions
| Subscription | Per month | Decision | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video streaming #1 | €14 | Keep | — |
| Video streaming #2 | €9 | Cancel (rejoin for a series) | €9 |
| Music | €11 | Keep | — |
| Gym | €30 | Cancel (2 visits in 3 months) | €30 |
| Meditation app | €7 | Cancel | €7 |
| Mobile plan | €20 | Downgrade (€10 deal) | €10 |
| Total | €91 | €56/month, €672/year |
Amounts are examples.
Step 3: cancel, and know your rights
- Online cancellation: if you signed up online, look for an online cancellation option in your account; more and more countries require one.
- Contracts with a minimum term: check the early exit fee and compare it with the savings from a cheaper deal.
- Insurance: switch at renewal at the latest, and get competing quotes a few weeks beforehand.
- Auto-renewing contracts: note the renewal date and cancel before it if you don't want to continue.
Keep a record of each cancellation (confirmation email, screenshot), and check next month's statement to make sure the payment has stopped.
Step 4: move the money you save straight away
Lucas's €56 will vanish into the month's spending if he doesn't move it. Set up an automatic transfer of the same amount to your savings on payday. Put it towards your emergency fund or a plan.
Step 5: stop it happening again
- Write down the end date of every free trial in your calendar, with a reminder two days before.
- Rotate streaming services instead of stacking them: one this month, another next month.
- Review once a year, in January for example: 20 minutes is enough.
To go further, our 30 tips to save money cover your other bills, and the fixed vs variable expenses guide explains why fixed costs are where you save the most.
Your subscriptions in Souski
In Souski, each subscription becomes a recurring transaction that's added automatically every month. You can see at a glance how much they cost you in total in your "Subscriptions" category, and the app can suggest recurring transactions from your history. When you cancel one, just stop the recurring entry.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I find all my subscriptions?
Go through the last three months of bank statements looking for amounts that repeat, then check subscriptions managed through the App Store, Google Play and PayPal, which sometimes appear under a different name on your statement. Don't forget yearly subscriptions, which only show up once a year.
Is it easy to cancel a subscription online?
It's getting easier: in many countries, including EU member states, rules increasingly require that a contract signed online can be cancelled online just as easily. Look for the cancellation link in your account settings or at the bottom of the provider's website.
What if I'm still in a contract for broadband or my phone?
Check the early termination fee in your contract and compare it with what a cheaper deal would save you over the remaining months. Often the maths favours switching, especially near the end of the minimum term.
My insurance renews automatically. Can I switch?
Usually, yes, at renewal at the very least. Shop around a few weeks before the renewal date, and use competing quotes to negotiate with your current insurer: loyal customers are often charged more than new ones.
This guide gives general pointers and isn't personalised financial advice.